Solar Panel Taxation Debate Highlights Tunisia's Energy Transition Challenges
The article 40 of the 2024 finance law in Tunisia plans to increase customs duties on solar panel imports to 30%, a measure deemed worrying for the future of clean energy in the country. On the other hand, article 54 of the 2025 finance law project proposes to reduce these duties to 10%, reflecting a willingness to encourage the adoption of renewable energies.
According to sector professionals, this high level of taxation could hinder the development of photovoltaic systems in Tunisia. Indeed, increased taxation translates to an additional cost for end-users, whether individuals, industrialists, or farmers. This could slow down the achievement of national objectives, including producing 35% of electricity from renewable energies by 2030 and reducing carbon intensity by 46% by the same deadline.
National industrialists, on the other hand, believe that reducing customs duties could penalize local production, making imported panels more competitive and discouraging industrial investments in this strategic sector. However, some experts argue that the current capacity of the local industry is insufficient to meet the growing demand and support an ambitious energy transition.
This debate reflects a dilemma between protecting the national industry and accelerating the adoption of renewable energies. Tunisia's energy strategy will require balanced choices to reconcile industrial sovereignty and ecological transition, in a global context where solar energy plays a central role in the fight against climate change.
